Passed Over
by Hananiah
Summary: With Rose back there was no room for Donna. JE spoilers


Title: Passed over  
Summery: With Rose back there was no need for Donna  
Disclaimer: Characters belong to the BBC  
Spoilers: Season 4 and My best friends' wedding  
Rating: PG

True loves embrace was certainly a beautiful thing, Donna Noble thought, but it was also painful. The smile stretched her facial muscles until they ached, matching the void that was slowly stretching her heart to its limit.  
She supposed she had always known this would happen, if it _could_ happen at least.  
Everything the Doctor did came back to Rose, Martha had told her that, but at the time, Donna had been too engrossed in the adventure, in soaking up every experience through every pore of her body, to build memories that would last forever she hadn't really been paying attention.

Besides, what did it matter? She and the Doctor were best mates, nothing like _that_ would ever happen between them.

She certainly wasn't going to begrudge the Doctor this happiness, after reading hundreds of romance novels and cheesy American romantic comedies she knew a perfect happy ending when she saw it. She supposed she understood Julia Roberts's character's feelings after her best mate got married.

She had never understood being both ecstatically happy and teetering on the edges of despair all at the same time, but watching Rose and the Doctor embrace was like ripping out every nerve ending in her body. She turned away, for all their sakes before she sobbed; she walked away unnoticed to her room to pack.

Her bedroom was her favourite place on the Tardis; the ship had conformed to her needs and to her style seamlessly. She felt more at home here then anywhere else, she realized with a pang that she had fallen in love with the Tardis. She ran her hand over the wall gently and she imagined a light pulse in response, hoping that this mystical ship would miss her as much as she would miss it.

Packing wouldn't take long, her speciality was packing, no one knew how she fitted so much stuff in so little space. She really didn't have an excuse why this should be taking so long, especially since she was doggedly resigned to the task. No matter what else, Donna wasn't a slacker when it came to getting the job done.

The door opened unannounced and the Doctor practically bounded into the room. He was like a little boy who had eaten too much sugar or a puppy eager to be let out in a field to run around.

"Donna! I'm back, missed me?"

"You weren't gone long enough space boy" Donna quipped. It was almost instinctive, the way they seemed to bounce off each other.

"Aw, c'mon I bet I had you worried there for a tick before I regenerated"

"Maybe a little" Donna allowed "Guess I was hoping for a Brad Pitt version of you. Rose said your last body was gorgeous"

He frowned a little and looked slightly affronted until his eyes finally seemed to take in the fact that all the wardrobes were open and clothes were piled up neatly ready to be packed.

"What's all this in aid of?" he asked gesturing to the suitcases.

"Oh, you know, figured I'd get a head start before all the fighting starts"

"Why?" The Doctor looked genuinely surprised as if the reason why hadn't occurred to him.

"Rose is back" Donna said as if speaking to a child.

"Well yeah but..." The Doctor trailed off when the full meaning of her words hit home. His mouth opened and closed a few times, making him seem like a comically stunned fish and Donna felt a pang of regret for him as well as distant amusement.

"But you don't have to go" He said lamely.

Donna drew herself up, and wrapped cold, hard practicality around her like a blanket. "Please, you think I want to stay here and watch you two snog the faces off each other? I don't think so." She snapped the suitcase closed with a flourish. She had once been told that she had more front then Blackpool and she supposed she was about to prove it. Through their time together, she had allowed the Doctor to see her perhaps more clearly then anyone else but she also knew that he still believed loud, brash Donna.

"Still I had a good run I s'pose. Would have liked to see the rainbow light on Fbbbish 4 but whaddya gonna do?"

"Donna..." His face was so sad, so hopeless that air was beginning to have trouble reaching her lungs and she could feel dampness edging at the corners of her eyes.

"Well mustn't grumble I suppose." The facade was beginning to slip, she could feel the cracks beginning to emerge and the last thing she ever wanted to do was cry in front of him.

"I hate long goodbyes, don't you?" She stuck her hand out and shook his limp hand a few times. "It's been great Doctor" Allowing herself a moment of weakness she hugged him, once and let go quickly. "Maybe Captain Jack has a job opening in Torchwood."

"Donna..."

"It's been great fun" she said meaningfully. "Thank you. For everything." She had almost reached the door. "Best see how the revolution is coming on" Her hand trembled on the door knob and for a split second she allowed herself to imagine that the door would not open for her, but when she turned the handle it moved in her hand, opening silently she braced herself for the finish, to make herself walk away.

"Donna don't I want you..."

She let the door bang on the way out.

End


End file.
